Getting a box of conversation hearts can be complicated. While the sentiment of a candy gift is always appreciated, the chalky little treats can’t really compare to a luscious dark chocolate truffle. And the purple ones?! With a flavor described by experts at Candy Blog as “foul bitter grapes,” they’re simply inedible. Fun note: while the recipe hasn’t changed since 1902, the sayings change each year to reflect the times. (We must have missed the 1998 featured heart, “You Go, Girl!)
The thing is, they’re so darn cute! That’s why we’re taking …

Woo-hoo! It’s 2012, and with all the holiday craziness now a distant memory, we’re looking forward to a peaceful and cozy January and a crafty New Year! We’re kicking off the 2012 Crafty Hour series with a really fun and simple project that just may get you hooked on stamping. Using Yellow Owl Workshop’s book, Print Workshop, as our guide, we’ll be making stamps out of wood and…yarn? Yes!

Printing by hand is all the rage these days, and this project proves you don’t need any special equipment or fancy machinery …

(Crafty Hour happens each month at Modern Mouse from 5-7 PM on second Thursdays! Look out for the next one…come and craft with us!)
We had another excellent craft night last week at Modern Mouse; making glorious pieces of art from blank canvases and paint chips! The project was nice and messy, which is always a good sign, and everyone’s creativity was in full gear. We were honored to have some out-of-state visitors as well as a great Bay Area crew! Everyone brought a handful of paint chips, which was enough …

Ever wondered what to do with all those leftover paint chips from a potential room makeover? They’re just too darn nice to throw away. Luckily, our good friend the Internet has lots of ideas about how to give paint chips the future they deserve: as a piece of fabulous art! This Thursday night, you can make your own masterpiece at our Crafty Hour. We’ll be sharing a few simple techniques on using cut-up paint chips to create some seriously impressive-looking works of art. We’re really excited to get cutting and …

I (Christina) am super excited for this upcoming Crafty Hour (which happens every 2nd Thursday!). We’ve made pins and bracelets, and with these necklaces we’ll have the complete DIY accessories experience! This t-shirt necklace project is just in time for Fall – it’ll give a little warmth for cooler days and add color and texture to autumn outfits. The possibilities for different looks are endless. You could go for dense and uniform like the necklace above, or colorful and thinly layered like the one below.
I’m planning on bringing some of my …

(Crafty Hour happens each month at Modern Mouse from 5-7 PM on second Thursdays! Look out for the next one…come and craft with us!)
Another Crafty Hour for the record books! Last Thursday we did a super-versatile craft: embroidery hoop art using a no-sew applique technique. Taught by trusty Modern Mouse employee and blogger Polly Conway (yeah, that’s me!), the workshop was standing room only, with a roomful of awesome folks creating great projects as well as an extra-fun environment to hang out in!
We provided the supplies, which included a wooden …

Turn fabric like this…
…into something like this!
At this month’s Crafty Hour, we’re giving all hoarders of cute fabric a chance to show off their favorite fabulous fabrics with a simple, no-sew craft project.
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Join us on Thursday, 9/8, for two hours of crafting and camaraderie, 5-7PM!
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Problem: You’ve got too much of a good thing – fabric with the most adorable/awesome print you’ve ever seen.
Solution: Make decorative wall art using embroidery hoops! Ms. Polly Conway will show you how to get the most out of your patterned fabric …

(Crafty Hour happens each month at Modern Mouse from 5-7 PM on second Thursdays! Look out for the next one…come and craft with us!)
We did it again! With another successful Modern Mouse Crafty Hour under our belt, we became crochet pros in two hours thanks to this month’s teacher, Julia Akpan of Simple Truths. Our recently revamped back room quickly filled with enthusiastic crafters ready to learn a new skill and leave with an awesome scalloped bangle bracelet. As usual, we were armed with cookies, candy, and sweet drinks to …

Can you believe it’s August already? It’s just not possible that summer could be more than halfway over! Come spend one of summer’s quickly fleeting nights with Modern Mouse at this month’s Crafty Hour! We’ll be turning boring old bangles into pretty crocheted bracelets with Ms. Julia Akpan!
Her jewelry line, Simple Truths, features a fresh take on crochet and is colorful, gorgeous, and a little bit fun too! I mean, look at what we’ll be learning how to make:

So pretty, right?  New to crocheting? Not to worry – Julia …